Coral researchers successfully fertilise coral eggs using frozen and thawed sperm

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For the first time in Europe, coral researchers have successfully fertilised coral eggs using frozen and thawed sperm. Spectacular videos of the coral spawning are shedding new light on the role cryopreservation is playing in advancing coral restoration efforts.

These videos capture the moment Acropora millepora corals spawned in November 2024 at the Horniman Museum in London, releasing clouds of tiny bundles glimmering against the artificial darkness of the tanks. The team intercepted Acropora millepora sperm from this spawning and placed it in a deep freeze using a specialised cryoprotectant agent to keep the cells alive during freezing. To prove the frozen sperm could be used to produce living coral at a later date, the team at the Horniman then thawed the sperm and used it to create embryos.

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